DISMAY OVER LENIENT SENTENCE FOR NAMED OMAGH BOMB SUSPECT
Dismay over 'lenient' sentence for named Omagh bomb suspect
BY JACQUELINE COURTNEY
THE father of one of the Omagh bomb victims has condemned as 'lenient' the sentence of three and a half years that was handed down this week to one of the five men whom relatives have taken their civil action against.
The judgement was imposed at the Special Criminal Court in Dublin on Monaghan man, Seamus Daly, who had pleaded guilty to membership of an illegal organisation styling itself, the Irish Republican Army, otherwise Oglaigh na hEireann, on November 20 2000.
Michael Gallagher, whose son, Aidan, died in the horrific 1998 bomb, said he could not believe how lenient the sentence was in light of the recent statement from Justice Minister Michael McDowell that this organisation was 'still the largest threat to the people of Ireland'.
"That was not reflected in the light sentence handed out in the Special Criminal Court this week," commented Mr Gallagher.
Continuing, he said it was actually the lightest of all the Real IRA members that have come before the courts for membership.
Mr Gallagher intends to raise the general sentencing policy with the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern whom he meets on Thursday, March 11 and, "How the Southern government has dealt with terrorists when they came before the courts."
He admitted that there was a lot of 'surprise' among other relatives at the sentence given the statement made by Mr McDowell less than a fortnight ago.
"It is not sending a very clear message to people out there that the sentence for membership is three and a half years," added Mr Gallagher.
Meanwhile, Real IRA member, 33-year-old Seamus Daly, of Kihmurray, Culloville, Castleblayney, is one of the five men being sued by relatives of the 29 people, including a woman pregnant with twins, killed in the Real IRA bomb in Omagh in August 1998.
At Tuesday's sentencing hearing Detective Superintendent Tadhg Foley of Monaghan Garda Station said Daly was a member of the organisation that had carried out the Omagh bombing.
Daly was initially charged with membership between two dates but this was later amended to one specific date, that of November 20 2000. He pleaded guilty to the charge on Thursday.
Questioned by George Birmingham SC, prosecuting, Mr Foley agreed that the Real IRA, which came into existence in 1997, was responsible for firearms and explosive offences in the Republic, Northern Ireland and Britain. Counsel put it to the witness that on one occasion this resulted in a tragic loss of life.
Mr Foley replied: "Yes, 29 people killed in Omagh."
The court heard that Daly, a single man, was one of a family of nine and lived with his parents in Culloville, Castleblayney. He was unemployed but had previously worked in the building industry and had no previous convictions.
Hugh Hartnett SC, for Daly, asked the court to take into account his client's previous clean record and the fact that he had pleaded guilty at the first available opportunity after the charge was preferred against him.
Jailing Daly for three and a half years, Justice Paul Bulter noted that the maximum term for the offence of membership was seven years.
However, he said that in this case, as in many others, the court had 'no information of the level of involvement of the accused'.
Justice Bulter said that taking into account Daly's guilty plea and the fact that he had no previous convictions, there was no question that the maximum tariff would arise.
Also being sued by the families of the Omagh victims are Michael McKevitt, from Blackrock, Dundalk who is serving 20 years for directing the Real IRA, Colm Murphy, jailed for 14 years for conspiring to carry out an explosion within the Republic and Liam Campbell, from Upper Faughart, Dundalk who is awaiting trial on two charges of membership of an illegal organisation.
BY JACQUELINE COURTNEY
THE father of one of the Omagh bomb victims has condemned as 'lenient' the sentence of three and a half years that was handed down this week to one of the five men whom relatives have taken their civil action against.
The judgement was imposed at the Special Criminal Court in Dublin on Monaghan man, Seamus Daly, who had pleaded guilty to membership of an illegal organisation styling itself, the Irish Republican Army, otherwise Oglaigh na hEireann, on November 20 2000.
Michael Gallagher, whose son, Aidan, died in the horrific 1998 bomb, said he could not believe how lenient the sentence was in light of the recent statement from Justice Minister Michael McDowell that this organisation was 'still the largest threat to the people of Ireland'.
"That was not reflected in the light sentence handed out in the Special Criminal Court this week," commented Mr Gallagher.
Continuing, he said it was actually the lightest of all the Real IRA members that have come before the courts for membership.
Mr Gallagher intends to raise the general sentencing policy with the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern whom he meets on Thursday, March 11 and, "How the Southern government has dealt with terrorists when they came before the courts."
He admitted that there was a lot of 'surprise' among other relatives at the sentence given the statement made by Mr McDowell less than a fortnight ago.
"It is not sending a very clear message to people out there that the sentence for membership is three and a half years," added Mr Gallagher.
Meanwhile, Real IRA member, 33-year-old Seamus Daly, of Kihmurray, Culloville, Castleblayney, is one of the five men being sued by relatives of the 29 people, including a woman pregnant with twins, killed in the Real IRA bomb in Omagh in August 1998.
At Tuesday's sentencing hearing Detective Superintendent Tadhg Foley of Monaghan Garda Station said Daly was a member of the organisation that had carried out the Omagh bombing.
Daly was initially charged with membership between two dates but this was later amended to one specific date, that of November 20 2000. He pleaded guilty to the charge on Thursday.
Questioned by George Birmingham SC, prosecuting, Mr Foley agreed that the Real IRA, which came into existence in 1997, was responsible for firearms and explosive offences in the Republic, Northern Ireland and Britain. Counsel put it to the witness that on one occasion this resulted in a tragic loss of life.
Mr Foley replied: "Yes, 29 people killed in Omagh."
The court heard that Daly, a single man, was one of a family of nine and lived with his parents in Culloville, Castleblayney. He was unemployed but had previously worked in the building industry and had no previous convictions.
Hugh Hartnett SC, for Daly, asked the court to take into account his client's previous clean record and the fact that he had pleaded guilty at the first available opportunity after the charge was preferred against him.
Jailing Daly for three and a half years, Justice Paul Bulter noted that the maximum term for the offence of membership was seven years.
However, he said that in this case, as in many others, the court had 'no information of the level of involvement of the accused'.
Justice Bulter said that taking into account Daly's guilty plea and the fact that he had no previous convictions, there was no question that the maximum tariff would arise.
Also being sued by the families of the Omagh victims are Michael McKevitt, from Blackrock, Dundalk who is serving 20 years for directing the Real IRA, Colm Murphy, jailed for 14 years for conspiring to carry out an explosion within the Republic and Liam Campbell, from Upper Faughart, Dundalk who is awaiting trial on two charges of membership of an illegal organisation.
Further Information
Publisher: ULSTER HERALD
Ref: UH/1639
Published Date: 04-Mar-04
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